The Book of Leviticus got better. I stopped reading for quite a while because it was giving me a headache, but I'm reading the bits about sacrifices now. It started lightening up on the first chapter I read today, and after that it was easy to read, compared to earlier chapters.

It's really funny how the priests get to EAT the sacrifices to God. THAT doesn't sound like suspiciously self-serving false rulemaking, now does it...?

God describes to Moses which parts of the animals and bread to burn, where to burn them, what to do with the blood, and what parts Aaron and his sons may eat. In fact, it is their HOLY DUTY to feast upon the free meat and bread. But burn the wrong incense and God kills you with fire. So it has its good and bad parts. But the incense is really luxurious and pleasant, of course, made with frankincense and myrrh. Also luxurious are the spiced annointing oils used to seaso-- I mean, sanctify the sacrifices.

Just started reading 'The Sisters Brothers' by Patrick Dewitt. The brothers are contract killers in the era of the Wild West Gold Rush. Quite supernatural so far and much suffering from both horses and men.

The smoke wafted gently in the breeze across the poop deck and all seemed right in the world.

Started reading Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. It's his first culture novel, and if the first 100 or so pages are anything to go by, i'm in for a real treat with the rest of the book, not to mention the rest of the series. This has definitely made it into my favourite books list.

Awaiting a read are Snuff by Terry Pratchett, Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (a Dark Tower novel), and Banks' second culture novel, Player of Games. I am looking forward to them all greatly.

Roland Deschain - Half prophet, half gunslinger, all Pastafarian!

"Since Alexander Pearce escaped, over 250 people have disappeared in the Tasmanian wilderness. No remains have ever been found." - Dying Breed

Roland Deschain wrote:Started reading Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. It's his first culture novel, and if the first 100 or so pages are anything to go by, i'm in for a real treat with the rest of the book, not to mention the rest of the series. This has definitely made it into my favourite books list.

Awaiting a read are Snuff by Terry Pratchett, Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (a Dark Tower novel), and Banks' second culture novel, Player of Games. I am looking forward to them all greatly.

I've read "Look to Windward" which was excellent and included one of the most gruesome killings I've ever encountered in a book.

The smoke wafted gently in the breeze across the poop deck and all seemed right in the world.

I just finished reading The Quantum Universe today. It's an interesting book but feels a bit disjointed and confusing at times.

The ideas and interpretations of quantum theory are explained quite simply and clearly (I never understood the extent of Einstein's 'spooky action at a distance' as clearly before) but there is a lot of nonsense in there too. Maybe it doesn't work for me because I've done stuff on quantum theory before but the constant reference to clocks only served to confuse me, I think a basic introduction to wavefunctions would be less confusing than trying to put the everyday experience of clocks onto quantum events. Then it swerves the other way in the epilogue and starts using a lot of algebra in a book that has been insistent on using simple ideas the whole way through.

It's a bit of a shame given how intuitive Cox and Forshaw's explanation of relativity was. Still, it's a good book but I'd suggest reading stuff by John Gribbin first and then using this one to bring some of the more outlandish ideas into consideration.

Too old to give up but too young to rest - Pete Townshend

I would rather be a rising ape than a falling angel - Sir Terry Pratchett

I'd also recommend reading Alice in Quantumland. It explains quantum theory quite simply and eloquently, using, for want of a better term, real-world examples. The strangeness of the quantum world can be both exciting and confusing. It's quite fascinating.

Bart, i've not read that one yet, but I look forward to getting there. I'll be working my way through them in chronological order, so seeing as Look to Windward is book 6, it'll take me a while to get there.

Roland Deschain - Half prophet, half gunslinger, all Pastafarian!

"Since Alexander Pearce escaped, over 250 people have disappeared in the Tasmanian wilderness. No remains have ever been found." - Dying Breed